Wale Jagun
The Lagos State Ministry of Justice has prosecuted about 185 cases between the months of March and April, 2020.
Prosecution of these cases were held in three Magistrate Courts of Ogba, Ebute-Meta and Ikorodu.
This is revealed in the monthly report of District Prosecutors issued on Wednesday by the Ministry. which added the prosecution of the 185 cases was approved after being filtered by the prosecutors assigned to the three Magistrate courts.
The statement noted that the creation of the District Prosecutors division on March 3rd, 2020, as a sub-unit under the Department of Public Prosecution, to operate a pilot scheme involving three magisterial areas of the State, was adopted as part of the recommendations of the Arthur-Worrey-led Advisory Committee on Police Prosecutorial Power in Magistrate Courts.
“In the recommendation, the Chairman of the Advisory Committee, Fola Arthur-Worrey Esq, in January 2020 said a sub-unit of the DPP office should be established in three Magistrate Courts to filter charges presented by Investigating Police Officers (IPO) to the Magistrate Courts. The involvement of the sub-unit of the DPP’s office would ensure that cases presented by the IPOs meet the evidential threshold required by the Law”, the statement said.
The Attorney-General/Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, in his reaction to the report of the Committee noted that:
“The operations of the district prosecutors would enhance the speedy prosecution of cases before the courts. It would also ensure the striking out of cases that disclose no prima facie evidence of offence committed”.
It is also noted that the District Prosecutors will henceforth take over the prosecution of severe and grievous criminal matters before the courts.
